Helpful Tips When Starting Out In Business

You have no doubt heard the worrying statistics that the majority of small businesses fail to hit the five-year mark. It can be hard to get figures like that out of your head when you are starting out, and every decision you make could ultimately break your business. But don’t forget, that a great many small businesses succeed and go on to become medium and large sized enterprises. Why? Because they have clearly done their homework and have followed some of these helpful tips.

Be passionate

Starting a business is tough. Very tough! So without a bit of passion to get you through the rough patches, it can be challenging to find the momentum to keep going. You must essentially love what you are doing or believe in it so strongly that any feelings of negativity will be pushed aside by your continuous passion to succeed. Some days things will go wrong; you will feel like you are missing the mark by a mile. But you know what? On other days, things will go so well that you can’t stop smiling from ear to ear. Make the most of those days and remember that feeling of success to keep you motivated.

Have money in the bank

Many small business owners think that if they build a business, then people will immediately come through the doors. But, unfortunately, it just doesn’t work like that. As a matter of fact, it might take you one or two years to get fully established and be able to pay your bills. Therefore, having some other kind of income coming in while you are getting started is helpful. You don’t want to be stressing about marketing your business AND paying your electricity bill. Make sure you have enough to cover the necessities so you can fully focus on how to grow the business successfully without interruption. Even if it means taking a part-time job or looking at some other form of employment to tide you over, then it is worth considering if it gets you closer to your goal.

Create a network

It is important to realise that running a business can be lonely at times. Therefore, it is essential that you have people around to assist you. Being able to bounce ideas off someone can be very helpful, particularly in the early stages. Specifically, find reliable and willing friends or family members and join useful business forums, so you don’t feel like you are in it alone. If you can find a mentor or someone who has managed a successful business to offer a few guiding tips, even better. Chances are there is someone out there who has got it both wrong and right at times, and can guide you through.

Write a business plan

Every organisation needs a quality business plan. It may sound boring, but if you want to commit to a goal, then you need to ensure that it is going to be viable. If you intend to borrow money further down the track, then your financier will want to see that you have put some effort into creating a solid business plan to back up your financial claims. For this reason, researching at the start will save much heartache in the future.

As it is such a crucial topic for SMES, next week we will share some more useful business tips to ensure that you get your business off to a flying start. We love to see small businesses succeed and are here to support you as best we can.

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What our clients are saying...

Sophie has the spirit of the Entrepreneurial Business Owner! Whether she is running a successful single family website, creating a product for small business owners or running her own bookkeeping agency she is always right on track as to what small business needs. If you want to speak to someone who not only knows what business owners are going through-she also does something about it- then don’t miss out, connect with Sophie! She is someone who can not only think outside the square- she has true strategic thinking; which is often spoken about but is rarely truly placed into action.

Sue Heins
Councillor at Warringah Council

2017-10-13T09:25:16+00:00

Sue Heins
Councillor at Warringah Council

Sophie has the spirit of the Entrepreneurial Business Owner! Whether she is running a successful single family website, creating a product for small business owners or running her own bookkeeping agency she is always right on track as to what small business needs. If you want to speak to someone who not only knows what business owners are going through-she also does something about it- then don’t miss out, connect with Sophie! She is someone who can not only think outside the square- she has true strategic thinking; which is often spoken about but is rarely truly placed into action.

http://www.accountsstudio.com.au/testimonial-archive/6008/

Sophie is an amazing business woman. She is able to take the complexities of business and break them into manageable pieces for small and home based business owners to work with. She’s clever, creative, supportive and very generous. She’s the reason that so many small businesses are doing so well. If yours is a small or home based business then Sophie is someone you need to know.

Anne Maybus
Writer and Content Creator, Clever Streak

2017-10-13T09:26:35+00:00

Anne Maybus
Writer and Content Creator, Clever Streak

Sophie is an amazing business woman. She is able to take the complexities of business and break them into manageable pieces for small and home based business owners to work with. She’s clever, creative, supportive and very generous. She’s the reason that so many small businesses are doing so well. If yours is a small or home based business then Sophie is someone you need to know.

http://www.accountsstudio.com.au/testimonial-archive/6010/

Sophie is efficient, direct and gets the job done. She responds quickly, keeps me updated and has a way of simplifying things and making my life easier. She is all about efficiency and that’s what makes it great to work with her, I highly recommend her to anyone who wants someone to efficiently look after their books and she is great value for money too.

Adam Dobson
Strategic Resourcing Manager

2017-10-13T09:28:24+00:00

Adam Dobson
Strategic Resourcing Manager

Sophie is efficient, direct and gets the job done. She responds quickly, keeps me updated and has a way of simplifying things and making my life easier. She is all about efficiency and that’s what makes it great to work with her, I highly recommend her to anyone who wants someone to efficiently look after their books and she is great value for money too.

http://www.accountsstudio.com.au/testimonial-archive/6012/

I’d been stalking Sophie for a while since I saw some of the great work she did at Ideas Book. What she’s up to at the SOHO Agency is equally impressive and I’m delighted to have someone working in this space who I feel so confident referring onto others. Keep being brilliant Sophie!

Robert Gerrish
Founder and Director, Flying Solo

2017-10-13T09:30:45+00:00

Robert Gerrish
Founder and Director, Flying Solo

I’d been stalking Sophie for a while since I saw some of the great work she did at Ideas Book. What she’s up to at the SOHO Agency is equally impressive and I’m delighted to have someone working in this space who I feel so confident referring onto others. Keep being brilliant Sophie!

http://www.accountsstudio.com.au/testimonial-archive/6014/

Sophie is an incredibly savvy business owner, for whom I have great respect. She has always been very clear and detailed in her instructions, is always very focused on her business objectives, and displays a business model that you can aspire to as a small business owner. I have no hesitation is recommending her work at The Accounts Studio.

Kristy Smith
Director, Virtual Elves Outsourcing Solutions

2017-10-13T09:30:59+00:00

Kristy Smith
Director, Virtual Elves Outsourcing Solutions

Sophie is an incredibly savvy business owner, for whom I have great respect. She has always been very clear and detailed in her instructions, is always very focused on her business objectives, and displays a business model that you can aspire to as a small business owner. I have no hesitation is recommending her work at The Accounts Studio.

http://www.accountsstudio.com.au/testimonial-archive/6015/

I have had many a chat with Sophie on the networking circuit. Sophie has a strong profile and reputation within business circles and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to any soho needing direction, support and encouragement. I have a passion for educating small business myself and wholeheartedly support Sophie in her endeavour to actively reduce costs for those who may be unintentionally making uninformed decisions relating to business management. Many business owners are unnecessarily outsourcing tasks which are misdirected or can be achieved inhouse.

Gai Hook
Virtual Sales Strategy

2017-10-13T09:32:05+00:00

Gai Hook
Virtual Sales Strategy

I have had many a chat with Sophie on the networking circuit. Sophie has a strong profile and reputation within business circles and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to any soho needing direction, support and encouragement. I have a passion for educating small business myself and wholeheartedly support Sophie in her endeavour to actively reduce costs for those who may be unintentionally making uninformed decisions relating to business management. Many business owners are unnecessarily outsourcing tasks which are misdirected or can be achieved inhouse.

http://www.accountsstudio.com.au/testimonial-archive/6016/

I’ve worked with Sophie as a contributor to Confessions of a Mumpreneur – a fantastic book that she dreamt up, edited and produced. Apart from producing fabulous books that help so many others realise their entrepreneurial dreams, Sophie is an astute business person who is making her mark on her own terms. Watch this space – I’m sure we’ll see and hear a lot more from Sophie Andrews in the years to come.

I’ve worked with Sophie as a contributor to Confessions of a Mumpreneur – a fantastic book that she dreamt up, edited and produced. Apart from producing fabulous books that help so many others realise their entrepreneurial dreams, Sophie is an astute business person who is making her mark on her own terms. Watch this space – I’m sure we’ll see and hear a lot more from Sophie Andrews in the years to come.

http://www.accountsstudio.com.au/testimonial-archive/6018/

I got to know Sophie through my previous employer where Sophie still handles the bookkeeping side of things. While we worked together I have found Sophie very accurate, punctual and very pleasant to work with. And recommend her highly.

I was recommended to The Accounts Studio at a networking event and have been working with them for the last 2 years. The team have all been very approachable and available – two things essential when it comes to understanding your accounts! I now no longer have the stress every three months of getting my BAS correct and even better I have a clear understanding of where my company is financially! Thanks Sophie and TAS team!

Eleni Mitakos
Galmatic Pty Ltd

2017-10-13T04:16:02+00:00

Eleni Mitakos
Galmatic Pty Ltd

I was recommended to The Accounts Studio at a networking event and have been working with them for the last 2 years. The team have all been very approachable and available – two things essential when it comes to understanding your accounts! I now no longer have the stress every three months of getting my BAS correct and even better I have a clear understanding of where my company is financially! Thanks Sophie and TAS team!

http://www.accountsstudio.com.au/testimonial-archive/5382/

I have really enjoyed working with you guys and look forward to a successful 2013. From the moment we started with TAS I have seen value. The figures are accurate, you are accessible (and approachable!) and most of all – you are cool people!

Chris Du Plessis
Managing Director, Origin Meat Pty Ltd

2017-10-13T04:20:03+00:00

Chris Du Plessis
Managing Director, Origin Meat Pty Ltd

I have really enjoyed working with you guys and look forward to a successful 2013. From the moment we started with TAS I have seen value. The figures are accurate, you are accessible (and approachable!) and most of all – you are cool people!